DEAR ABBY: On a recent trip out of state, my husband became ill. The hotel we stayed in referred us to a nearby urgent care walk-in clinic.

The nurse took his blood pressure, which was very high. The "doctor" never took his temperature or mentioned the high blood pressure to us. He prescribed six drugs and we went on our way. My husband was happy; I was not.

When we returned home, I looked up the doctor's name on the internet. Actually, he was a physician's assistant, not a medical doctor. Abby, what should people do if they become sick while traveling? -- TRAVELING MEDICAL EMERGENCY

DEAR T.M.E.: You have asked an excellent question, one that may help many other people.

It is always wise when you travel to bring along a list of any medications you're taking and a copy of your medical records. Medical records are online these days and can be emailed to you upon request. A lot of health insurance companies offer a 24-hour service to call for a referral to a physician in whatever locale you happen to be.

Physician assistants are standard in many areas of the country as long as they are supervised by a physician -- and in your husband's case, there should have been an M.D. on the premises. You, as the consumer, have a right to ask questions. It would not have been out of line to inquire about the certification of the person who was treating your husband, or to ask to see the supervising M.D.

If the medical emergency is dire, take no chances and call 911. If someone is really sick (having chest pains, muscle weakness, trouble speaking), an emergency room is better than an urgent care because more expertise and testing are available onsite.

DEAR ABBY: We are a married male couple. It is always awkward to use the word "husband" when I'm referring to or asked about my spouse, because heterosexuals seem to think that if I have a "husband," then that makes me a "wife." Nope!

I have started using "husband" and not "partner" because we are legally married and have been together for 18 years. Lesbians seem to have no trouble using "wife" when referring to each other. Why then does there seem to be a problem with male couples using "husband and husband" without it seeming awkward for heterosexuals?

I have experienced this problem many times, and so have other male couples we know. Is there another term that's better than "husband"? -- PERPLEXED IN PHOENIX

DEAR PERPLEXED: You could use the word "spouse," but using the word "husband" is preferable. ("Partner" may be appropriate, but in my opinion, it does not accurately describe your status as a married person.) People may be jolted to hear married male couples refer to each other as husband because same-sex marriage is still new in many areas of the country.

Personally, I think you should use the word "husband" and be confident in doing so. The more you do, the greater the opportunity for the larger population to become accustomed to hearing it used.

DEAR ABBY: I have an 8-year-old stepson, "Kaden," whom I love dearly. Kaden spends the bulk of his time with his mother on the other side of the country. When he comes to visit us in the summer, his clothing and shoes are always ragged and a few sizes too small.

My husband pays child support and buys Kaden a new wardrobe every six months. Yet every time he comes to us, he's never wearing anything his dad and I bought him, but what appear to be hand-me-down rags. We have spoken to the mother many times about it, but nothing changes.

We feel if we stop buying clothes for Kaden it would punish him, when it is his mom who isn't spending the child support money on the boy. We have paid for extracurricular activities (sports) only for her to not take him there. She lies and says he doesn't want to go, but we get a different story from the boy. He says she says, "Judo isn't a real sport." He has gained weight and we don't want him to be picked on for it.

The state where the boy lives is not good about giving fathers custody of their kids, and the mom is not necessarily unfit. How can we make her see she's hurting her kid? -- MOTHER DOESN'T KNOW BEST

DEAR M.D.K.B.: You can't "make" another adult do something she isn't inclined to do. However, what you can do is enroll Kaden in sports programs when he visits you during the summer months.

You and your husband can also talk to a family law attorney and find out at what age Kaden will be able to legally request to be placed with you. While a young child may not be able to do this, I believe a teenager can make a compelling case for it. If Kaden's mother has been depriving him, it would make a persuasive argument for a change in custody.

DEAR ABBY: I really like this guy named "Gary." He's super sweet, funny, cute and just incredible. He's my brother's friend.

I'm in sixth grade and he's in fifth. I think he might like me back. He asked me to follow his new Instagram account, and when I told him to tell my brother hi, he stared at me for a few seconds longer (plus he was smiling the whole time). One of my girlfriends sort of likes him, too.

What do I do? How do I tell him I like him? Is it OK for me to ask him to go to the park? His brother and my brother could go, too. Please help me. What do I do? -- GIRL IN EL PASO, TEXAS

DEAR GIRL: If Gary wants you to follow his Instagram account, it's a pretty good sign that he has positive feelings for you. If you want to ask him to go to the park, and your parents don't mind, go ahead and do it. But let me offer a couple of suggestions:

If you ask him, DO include your brother and his brother because being with others will make it more fun. And, everybody loves a compliment. The compliment doesn't have to be as blatant as "I like you," which could embarrass some boys his age. A simple, "I think you're great because (you're really smart, you're good at sports, you're fun to be around, etc.)" should do the trick.

DEAR ABBY: Five years into our marriage, my wife and I took a girlfriend, "Sonya." I fell madly in love with her. Unfortunately, my relationship with my wife cooled because she changed as a person. We ended up divorcing.

I'm still in love with Sonya, but obviously nothing will ever come of it. I'm her confidant and best friend, and she tells me all about her dating life.

I'm having trouble dealing with it, but I don't think I could handle not seeing her face light up when she speaks about her new girlfriend. My love for Sonya runs to my core -- it's one for the ages. She IS my soul. I don't want to lose her as my best friend, but I don't know how to manage the pain of my unrequited love. Please help me. -- DEMOLISHED IN CONNECTICUT

DEAR DEMOLISHED: Your love for Sonya may run to the core, but it isn't returned. If she's in love with another woman, your chances of winding up with her are somewhere between slim and none. That's why you must now decide if a bleeding heart is a condition you really want to live with. My advice is to be kind to yourself, get off a track that is leading nowhere and look for someone who can love you back.

DEAR ABBY: My lady friend and I have been living in the same apartment building for a year. It is a retirement community, and we each have our own apartment. (We are both in our 90s.) We are together almost every day. We are Roman Catholic and attend church services at least twice a week.

My problem is, I want her to sleep with me in the same bed, but without having sex. She says sleeping together is wrong, against God's will and we should not do it. I said as long as we don't have sex, we are not committing a sin. I talked to a priest about this and he agreed with me. What do you think? -- NONAGENARIAN IN MINNESOTA

DEAR NONAGENARIAN: If your priest blesses it, who am I to argue?

DEAR ABBY: All my life, I've put my belt on from left to right. I never really questioned why. Just reckoned it had something to do with me being right-handed.

Recently, an old acquaintance told me I have been doing it wrong. According to him, only women do it from the left. Men belt up right-to-left.

Abby, who's right? Is there a correct way to wear a belt? Is it a gender thing, a comfort thing or does it even matter? -- NOT TOO BIG FOR MY BRITCHES

DEAR NOT TOO BIG: Most men insert their belts from left to right, and most women do it from right to left. However, unless you are a member of the military and must adhere to a strict dress code, you have the right to buckle your belt whichever way you wish.

TO MY MUSLIM READERS: A happy Eid al-Fitr, one and all.